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Pep Guardiola “clearly doesn’t fancy John Stones” and will take Nathan Ake’s game to even greater heights after investing £40 million ($53m) in a new centre-half at Manchester City, says Danny Mills.

The Blues were expected to bolster their defensive options during the summer transfer window.

Having opted against finding a replacement for Vincent Kompany in the wake of the Belgian’s departure in 2019, those at the Etihad Stadium struggled for consistency at the heart of their back four.

Aymeric Laporte has proved to be a shrewd addition, but Stones and Nicolas Otamendi have failed to convince.

That has led to Brazilian holding midfielder Fernandinho being asked to fill an unnatural position on a regular basis.

The South American has fared admirably, but a long-term solution to an obvious issue was always going to be required.

Ake is the answer in the eyes of Guardiola, with the Netherlands international having been snapped up from Bournemouth in the wake of the Cherries’ relegation out of the Premier League.

Mills believes value for money will be found in the versatile 25-year-old, with City’s highly-rated coach boasting an impressive track record when it comes to improving those he invests considerable faith and funds in.

“He clearly doesn’t fancy John Stones, Otamendi at times, and he can’t keep on playing Fernandinho out of position,” former City full-back Mills told talkSPORT.

“You have to remember he has had a good schooling as well, he was at Chelsea and then he had a few loan deals.

“At the time he probably left Chelsea because they had some very good defenders and he didn’t see a pathway of getting through and breaking into their team.

“He went out on loan and obviously left for Bournemouth on a permanent deal.

“He’s a good player. He can play, but he can also defend. Then you have to think, what has Guardiola done with the majority of signings that he’s had? He has improved them.”

Ake spent six years on the books at Chelsea before linking up with Bournemouth on a permanent basis in 2017 and is now a seasoned Premier League and international performer.

Eric Bailly has reacted to Manchester United’s progress to the Europa League quarter-finals after defeating LASK 2-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.  

The centre-back was handed a starting role in the encounter and played for the duration of the game in the second leg round of 16 of the competition.

Jesse Lingard’s effort cancelled out Philipp Wiesinger’s opener before Anthony Martial scored the second for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men with two minutes left to play.

The victory ensured the Red Devils advanced into the next round of the competition on 7-1 aggregate after securing a convincing win in the first leg at Linzer Stadion.

The Ivory Coast international has taken to the social media to applaud United’s performance against the Austrian side.   

“Job well done, we're in the quarter-finals,” Bailly posted on Instagram.

Bailly joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2016 from Spanish side Villarreal and made 38 appearances across all competitions in his debut season.

The defender has, however, endured various injury setbacks since November 2017 when he suffered his first major injury, an ankle problem, which ruled him out of action for more than three months.

The 26-year-old has only featured 10 times for United across all competitions in the 2019-20 season owing to his struggles with injury.

Bailly recently signed a two-year contract with Manchester United, which will keep him at Old Trafford until the end of 2021-22 season.

The defender will hope to maintain his fitness and help the Red Devils clinch the Europa League title they last won in 2017 under Jose Mourinho.

Bailly started his career with Espanyol youth setup before he was promoted to the senior side in 2014 and featured in five league games before his departure from the side in 2015.

The centre-back made 35 league appearances for Villarreal after arriving from the White and Blue before teaming up with United.  

Bailly has 34 caps for Ivory Coast and was part of the team that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Jurgen Klopp was not expecting to be in the market for another goalkeeper heading into the 2019-20 campaign, but was delighted to snap up Adrian after Simon Mignolet’s push for the exits forced his hand.

The Reds considered themselves to be well-stocked for shot-stopping talent as they prepared to open what would be a memorable season.

Loris Karius was allowed to depart on loan as a result, with the German linking up with Turkish side Besiktas.

Belgium international Mignolet was, however, to get the chance to head home and link up with Club Brugge, meaning that Liverpool suddenly needed a back-up for established number one Alisson.

It did not take long for a list of options to be drawn up, with Klopp pleasantly surprised to see that Adrian was available after severing ties with West Ham.

The Spaniard was quickly acquired and ended up slotting straight into the Liverpool side as Alisson suffered an unfortunate injury on the opening weekend against Norwich.

“The goalkeeper situation, I don't know exactly, but one or two weeks before Simon [Mignolet] came and said, ‘I can go home. I have an offer from Club Brugge’, and we said, ‘OK, but we don't have a solution’,” Klopp told the Reds’ official website on his scramble to land a new custodian.

“John Achterberg came around the corner and said, ‘OK, he's available, he's available and he's available’.

“We go through it and I remembered I'd seen some interviews with Adrian when he was at West Ham still and thought he's a smart guy.

“I didn't know exactly why he didn't play anymore because the West Ham goalie situation didn't look settled finally there. He is a good goalie, so why didn't he play? So we had to make sure how he is as a person.

“You try to find out but it was positive. John said, ‘Yes, a good goalie and absolutely from all the options we have, he is the best’. 'Good, let's go for it'.

“So he came in, trained for five or six days and is our first-choice goalkeeper!

“He did exceptionally well. We should not forget what an incredible job he did and we won obviously all of the games at the start of the season when he was in goal and he had a massive hand in that. He had some situations when he was really good.”

Adrian went on to take in 18 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, helping them to UEFA Super Cup glory and a long-awaited Premier League title.

Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany says Anderlecht will push Bafana Bafana attacker Percy Tau to become the best player he can be during his season-long loan with the club. 

The 26-year-old completed the move on Wednesday morning from Brighton & Hove Albion after failing to secure a UK work permit for a third successive season. 

The 2020-21 season will be Tau's third successive stint in Belgium after loan spells with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge in the past two campaigns. 

And Kompany hopes the former Mamelodi Sundowns player will enjoy his time with the Belgian giants. 

"I hope this is going to be an amazing journey," said Kompany as he welcomed Tau to the club.  

"You said you've come here for the next step. So, we are going to push you to become the best player you can be," he added. 

Kompany is aware that South Africa wants to see Tau in the Premier League, and he admits it is Anderlecht's role to help the attacker achieve this objective.   

"I know they are looking back to you in the Premier League. So, it's our role to take you there," concluded Kompany. 

Tau moved to Europe in 2018 but he was loaned out to Saint-Gilloise by Brighton almost immediately after arriving from the Brazilians due to work permit restrictions in the UK. 

His first season with Saint-Gilloise saw him score 13 goals and register 11 assists. 

As a result, Tau was named Proximus Player of the Season for his efforts, and more teams started taking notice of him with France-based outfit Amiens SC also at one stage interested in acquiring his services. 

However, it was Club Brugge who did enough to secure his services - and he would go on to win the Belgian Pro League title with them at the end of the 2019-20 season. 

This was after the season was cancelled with Brugge leading the standings by a whopping 15 points. 

Tau also got to play in European competitions with Club Brugge - facing the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United in the process.   

But his efforts didn't convince Club Brugge who took the decision not to fight to keep him for a second successive season when his loan deal expired on June 30. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Anthony Martial after his winner against LASK, while revealing that the Manchester United striker "promised a goal" after "begging to come on".

United resumed their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 win against the Austrian outfit at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils progressed to the quarter-finals 7-1 on aggregate, but were made to work for the second-leg victory after falling behind to a stunning Phillip Wiesinger strike.

Solskjaer watched his side produce an instant response to that setback, as Jesse Lingard netted his second goal in as many games to level the scores just before the hour mark.

LASK regrouped to frustrate United in the final 20 minutes of the match, and the game appeared to be heading towards a stalemate until Martial was introduced to the action in the 84th minute.

The Frenchman latched on to a Juan Mata pass and dribbled his way into the box before sliding home his 23rd goal of the campaign, which spared the Red Devils' blushes and kept confidence levels high ahead of Monday's last-eight showdown against FC Copenhagen.

Solskjaer admitted that Martial pushed for his headline moment during his post-match interview, telling reporters: "We needed to win the game. Of course, I wanted to but I couldn't get all of [the substitutes] on.

"We want to win and Anthony was begging to come on. But he promised a goal as well, so well done!"

The Norwegian head coach went on to highlight the changes Martial has made to his game in recent months, before discussing his team's new-found creative streak in the final third of the pitch.

"Anthony has upped his work-rate," Solskjaer said. "He's working harder in training, he's working harder in the games; his physical stats show that. He's been an absolute joy to work with.

"His attitude has been spot on and him and Marcus [Rashford] have found and hit off a really good relationship. And with Mason [Greenwood] and Bruno [Fernandes] coming in, that's improved us creating chances, the team's creating more chances. And tonight great link play with Juan [Mata]."

Solskjaer added on the challenge Copenhagen will pose United next week: “I know Stale [Solbakken, their manager] really well. A good friend of mine.

"I did my pro licence study with him in Copenhagen, so I know what there is to know about Stale probably. And he probably knows what there is to know about me! I'm looking forward to it.”

Crotone striker and Serie B top-scorer Simy Nwankwo has set his target on securing a return to the Nigeria national team.

The forward was in excellent form for the Pythagoreans in the 2019-20 season, helping the side to gain promotion to the Serie A.

The 28-year-old bagged 20 league goals in the campaign to emerge as the league’s top-scorer and his 21 strikes and three assists across all competitions saw him become the club’s highest goalscorer of the season. 

Nwankwo has five caps and one goal for the Super Eagles since he made his debut against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2018.

The forward was part of Gernot Rohr’s side that was eliminated in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, playing as a substitute against Croatia and Argentina.

The striker has, however, not featured for the West Africans since he made a bench role against Seychelles in September 2018 in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nwankwo feels Crotone’s relegation to Serie B reduced his chances of a regular call-up to the national team and now hopes for more opportunities with the side.

"When I went down, I knew the risks of losing that spot that I worked so hard to get to although I didn't play more, which is perfectly understandable," Nwankwo told ESPN.

"I met a team that was already structured with one of the best African strikers at the moment - Odion Ighalo. And it was normal, it was perfect for me to stay calm and learn and then watch how things are done. And then all of a sudden, I found myself out again, which is understandable.

"No grudges on anyone. I understand every situation because the national team of Nigeria is highly rated. So, if you want to be in the national team, you have to be in the big leagues. That I can understand.

"So now we are back up. I just have to focus, like always, on what I will do here. The only way I will get myself into the national team is about what I do here.

“This season, I've done well. That puts me in a good window to be looked into by the coaches and everybody that makes the decisions. I hope that in the future I will have my chance back again."

Nwankwo joined Crotone from Gil Vicente in 2016 and has scored 44 league goals in 112 appearances since his arrival at the club.

The 28-year-old forward will hope to play a key role for the Pythagoreans in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign.

Alexis Sanchez has signed for Inter on a three-year deal after Manchester United agreed to tear up his contract.

The Chilean joined United from Arsenal in January 2018 but struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford, scoring just five goals in 45 appearances.

He would then head out on loan to Serie A side Inter last summer, with his resurgent form after the resumption of football amid the coronavirus pandemic leading to him becoming a key part of Antonio Conte’s plans.

United will not receive a fee for the Chilean and it is understood the club will have to pay the player a small sum for severing his contract early.

The former Barcelona winger's deal with the Nerazzurri will run with Inter until 2023, with sources having told Goal that he has agreed to a pay-cut to secure a switch to San Siro.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who never had plans to get Sanchez back into the team, was complimentary when asked about the former Arsenal man after his side beat LASK in the Europa League on Wednesday night.

"I can confirm we have agreed [a deal for Sanchez to leave]. Alexis enjoyed his time there, they have liked him so that’s a good move for him," he said. 

"We wish him all the best and he is a top player who we want to see play his best football. For whatever reason we didn’t see the best of him here, he’s a top professional and we wish him all the best."

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirmed the move on Wednesday and claimed that Sanchez is an important part of their squad moving forward.

"We believe in him, that he can be a strong part of this squad and are happy to have concluded this deal," he told Sky Italia.

Conte added on the signing: "The Sanchez operation has been an excellent move by the club. We deserve it.

"He came at a bad moment in his career and with us he immediately got injured. We waited for him and he is now doing well. It is fair that we are the ones that can now enjoy him."

Sanchez could be reunited with his former United team-mates soon, with both teams currently on course to meet in the Europa League final on August 21 in Cologne.

United face Copenhagen in the quarter-final in Germany on Monday before a possible semi-final clash with Olympiacos, Wolves, Sevilla or Roma.

Inter, meanwhile, are due to face either Rangers or Bayer Leverkusen in the quarters, before a last-four meeting with either Shakhtar Donetsk, Eintracht Frankfurt or Basel.

Malaysian teen sensation Luqman Hakim Shamsudin has finally put pen to paper with Belgian top side KV Kortrijk, in an event held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, August 6.

But when talking to the press, the club's Malaysian owner Tan Sri Vincent Tan revealed that the Belgian side had initially been reluctant to bring the forward over.

"It was a big decision by the club, to give him a five-year contract. The management thought that he is too young, but as the owner I said 'we'll give him a chance.' When they are young they can run faster than the older players, and they have a higher value. 

"And it helps that Luqman has been listed as one of the best young footballers in the world and that he's recognised," says the tycoon, referring to The Guardian and Goal's top youth footballers lists that the 18-year old has been named on.

READ - NxGn 2020: The 50 best wonderkids in football

"I told the club that they must let him play instead of simply benching him. He needs to prove to the coaches that he's good enough to play, even only as a substitution, even just for 10, 15 minutes. Let's see if the manager agrees with me. Sometimes a club owner can't simply tell the manager what he doesn't want to do.

"As the owner, I decided to give an opportunity to another Malaysian. And the club need to train him and give him opportunities. Surely they can give him a chance when the owner is Malaysian himself? They'd better play him, or not we'll just be paying him 'gaji buta' (Bahasa Melayu for getting a salary despite not doing any work)!" explained Vincent. 

But he is adamant that Luqman can thrive in Europe, while hinting at the prospect of financially profiting from his success.

"However, at the end of the day, he has been signed because I believe that he can succeed. I'm not doing it just for show, it's a five-year contract after all. I am serious.

"God willing he'll succeed, and who knows maybe we'll get to make 20 million [from selling him to another club]. If it's 20 million, Selangor will profit too! They stand to get a percentage [of Luqman's future acquisition by another club], you know? If you want to know how big the percentage is, ask them yourselves," he hinted with a laugh, referring to the Kelantan-born player's former club.

The Malaysia junior international is expected to leave for Belgium next week.

Barcelona have announced the signing of Sao Paulo wonderkid Gustavo Maia, as well as the inclusion of a €300 million (£270m/$355m) release clause in his contract at Camp Nou.

Maia has completed a move to Barca for a fee of €4.5 million, while committing his future to the club through to 2025.

The Blaugrana have released an official statement confirming the news via their official website, which reads: "Barcelona have reached an agreement with Sao Paulo for the signing of Gustavo Maia, who will join Barca B.

"The Brazilian has signed a contract through to June 30, 2025, with a buyout clause of 300 million euros. The total cost of the operation is 4.5 million euros.

"Gustavo Maia is 19 years old and joined Sao Paulo at the age of 14. After three trials with the club, he was brought into their academy, and since then has scored goals and won seven trophies at all levels. His best season in front of goal was in 2018, when he scored 30 times in 36 games.

"An international for Brazil at Under-16 and Under-17 level, he is a fast forward who usually plays on the left side - even though he is right footed.

"He continued to make appearances for Sao Paulo's second team, even when called up to the senior squad. A strong dribbler, with a powerful shot, he was a standout in the Copa Junior tournament.

Barca reportedly reached an agreement to sign Maia in July, paying €1m to Sao Paulo up front to guarantee a purchase option on the forward.

He will go straight into the club's B team setup ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, with a view to forcing his way into Quique Setien's first-team plans as he develops his all-round game.

Maia began training with Fernando Diniz's squad at Arena Corinthians this year after impressing in the Sao Paulo Youth Cup, but he leaves the club without a single senior appearance to his name.

However, the teenager was able to work alongside Dani Alves, Alexandre Pato and Hernanes at Sao Paulo, which will hold him in good stead as he joins up with another star-studded group in Catalonia.

Maia is the second man from Sao Paulo to make his way to La Liga this year, after fellow Brazilian Reinier's €35 million (£29.8m/$38.8m) move to Real Madrid in January.

Johnstone Omurwa's proposed move to Petro Atletico of Angola has fallen through, Goal can exclusively reveal.

The Girabola giants were keen on completing the deal as soon as possible but an agreement has not been reached with Kenyan Premier League side Wazito FC.

"It seems [Wazito] were not ready to let the player leave or maybe they wanted to reap more from him," a close source from the Angolan side told Goal on Thursday.

"There were lots of misunderstandings and lack of goodwill, and we decided to walk away. But we wish the player all the best; it can change, this is football, you cannot predict what will happen in the future."

However, the 21-year-old might still play in Angola in the 2020/21 season if Interclube Luanda manage to meet the demands of the 2018/19 National Super League champions.

The Angolan top-tier side is still locked in negotiations with Wazito, hoping to conclude the deal before the month concludes. 

In an initial interview with Goal, the Kenya defender was open on playing in the Girabola with Petro Atletico.

"I am aware Petro Atletico are serious about having me in their team for next season," Omurwa told Goal.

"However, I am still contracted by Wazito, and I am remaining with about two years in my current deal. All I can do is let the two parties negotiate and reach an agreement before I leave.

"Yes, I would love to play abroad, but again I have to respect the fact that I am employed here in Kenya by Wazito. I cannot interfere with the negotiations, all I can do is wait for the outcome which I believe will be positive."

The lanky defender challenged upcoming footballers to go a step ahead and work harder to stand a chance of playing in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) or even better leagues abroad.

"The game has changed and currently, we have youngsters dominating the industry," Omurwa added.

"Chances are everywhere but to get it, you have to work hard, without doing so and maintaining your discipline, it will be tough

"I cannot even explain how I have managed to find myself at the top. Things have swiftly moved and I have reached where a few people expected.

"Anybody who is out there wanting to be a footballer, no shortcuts, they have to push harder on and off the pitch in order to be successful. There is nothing tough, sacrifice and remain concentrated and you will realize your objectives."

Kenyan Premier League side KCB have parted ways with several top players in preparation for the new campaign.

The Bankers had a good 2019/20 season which ended prematurely owing to Covid-19. 

About two weeks ago, the technical bench under the leadership of head coach Zedekiah Otieno met to discuss who to drop and who to retain in their bid to challenge for the league trophy next season.

Among those released is the 2017 bronze winner in the race for the Golden Boot Stephen Waruru, former Gor Mahia defender Pascal Ogweno, left-back Bolton Omwenga, and striker Benson Amianda.

Goalkeeper Allan Owiny has also been let go alongside Kenneth Mukuria. Erick Otieno, Brian Olango, and Gabriel Mugabo complete the list.

The Bankers are reportedly hot on the heels of Western Stima prodigy Benson Omala.

In an earlier interview with Goal, head coach Otieno had hinted on revamping the squad ahead of the new campaign.

"Strengthening the team is normal across the world and KCB are not an exception. We will strengthen the team and ensure we have a better competitive edge," the former defender told Goal.

"We have set our targets and have identified certain players who we will be trying to bring on board."

The Bankers struggled in the 2018/19 season which contributed to the exit of coach Frank Ouna from the club.

Thereafter the 51-year-old was appointed to head the club and went on to help them perform better in the top-tier, and they were fifth on the table before it was suspended owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.

"I am impressed with our performances in the cancelled season," the former defender continued.

"When I took over at the club, we were participants, but we have managed to change it and are now competitors in the KPL.

"There were places where we could not get points, but before the league was stopped, we had managed to do so.

"Remember, we were among the teams that beat Kakamega Homeboyz as well, it shows remarkable improvement."

Snapping up Willian if the Chelsea forward hits free agency is a “no-brainer” for Arsenal, says Perry Groves, with the Brazilian considered a better option in a wide role than club-record signing Nicolas Pepe.

The Gunners splashed out £72 million ($90m) on an Ivory Coast international forward during the summer of 2019.

Pepe did offer glimpses of what he is capable of, but a debut campaign in English football proved testing for a man who ended up with just eight goals and 10 assists to his name.

Having invested so much faith and funds in the 25-year-old, Arsenal can be expected to persist with a big-money buy.

They are, however, exploring their options when it comes to bringing in even more firepower.

It could be that a proven Premier League performer can be lured across London from Stamford Bridge, with Willian approaching the end of his contract at Chelsea.

Groves believes Mikel Arteta should be in the market for the experienced South American, as he could be an upgrade on Pepe and still has plenty left in the tank despite being 31 years of age.

“It’s a no-brainer, an absolute no-brainer,” Groves told talkSPORT on Arsenal’s pursuit of Willian.

“You say he’s 31, in our day you were probably coming to the end of your career at 30, 31 as an outfield player.

“Now, because they look after themselves, he'll be playing until he’s 33 or 34.

“And if you look at his injury record, over the last seven years he’s averaged 33 or 34 games a season, so he’s not injury prone, he’s consistent, he's got a winning mentality, he will buy into the way that Arteta wants to play, his attitude is good, he plays in the Premier League, so the risk is low and reward is very, very high.

“Is he better than what Arsenal have got at the moment? I’d say yes. He’s experienced.

“Yeah [Willian is better than Pepe]. Yes [Pepe has got great potential] but he’s not on Willian’s level of consistently delivering, he's had his best goalscoring year.

“Willian would make Arsenal a stronger team, it’s a no-brainer.”

Groves also believes that the Gunners need to be paying club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang whatever he wants in order to sign a new contract, with the Gabonese striker having entered the final 12 months of his current terms.

“I don’t care, as an Arsenal fan, and I know we’re in difficult financial times," Groves added.

“If they said, ‘Aubameyang’s on £400,000-a-week, £500,000-a-week,’ it wouldn’t bother me at all because some players warrant it.

“Some players warrant it and he does because he delivers.”

Tahith Chong's agent has spoken out on the winger's links with Werder Bremen, confirming that the Manchester United starlet "wants to go to the Bundesliga".

Chong made his way through United's youth ranks before taking the step up to the senior squad in 2018, but has since been unable to establish himself as a first-team regular.

The 20-year-old has scored two goals in 16 games over the past two seasons, with his latest outing coming from the bench during a 2-1 win over LASK in a round of 16 second-leg Europa League tie on Wednesday night.

The Netherlands Under-21 international was due to become a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season, but United ultimately decided to hand the attacker a new two-year deal back in March, with the option to extend by a further year.

Chong told the club's official website after the announcement was made: "I am delighted to sign this new contract and really grateful for the chance to prove myself here for many years to come."

Despite Juventus and Inter being credited with an interest in Dutchman before he committed to fresh terms, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that Chong has a "bright future" at Old Trafford, while praising his "dedication" to the Red Devils' cause.

However, Werder have emerged as a potential next destination for Chong over the past week, with reports in Germany stating that the youngster's agent Erkan Alkan has held talks with the German club in Bremen.

He is reportedly being lined up as a potential replacement for exit-bound Milot Rashica at Weser Stadion, and Alkan has fuelled speculation during an interview with Bild.

Chong's representative stated: "Tahith wants to go to the Bundesliga. We will talk about that with Manchester United on Thursday."

Werder sporting director Frank Baumann confirmed the club's intention to swoop for the midfielder earlier this week, telling Weser Kurier: "[Chong] is very fast, he comes in from the wing - he fits our profile.

"We can add two or three more players. Borrowing guys from top clubs like this can make sense to us. Because of our situation, he's a player who could be interesting."

East Malaysian side Sabah have been promoted to the Super League side this season, but when they were in the second tier, a big name had unexpectedly turned up for them at one point.

In November 2014, the Rhinos shocked many when they signed former Senegal and World Cup star El-Hadji Diouf. Although this stint would end on an acrimonious note not long after, one current Sabah player only remembers the African star fondly.

Midfielder Azzizan Nordin recalled Diouf as a kind and helpful senior player, in an interview with the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

Azzizan Nordin. Photo from Sabah

"The boys and I thought it was a joke at first; but we couldn't believe our eyes when we finally saw him in training.

"Diouf was amazing in every way; especially his ball receiving and delivery. The way he was able to keep possession was special and world class, because he had played in the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

"He once taught me that as a midfielder, I should scan for my teammates' positions to know my options before receiving the ball, and not after. It wasn't just me; the other younger Sabah players also received tips from him, and he was generous with his advice," said the 26-year old Malaysia international.

The Senegalese forward arrived in Kota Kinabalu ahead of the 2015 season, towards the end of his storied career which involved achieving instant fame in the 2002 World Cup.

Although there are no signs of the Coronavirus pandemic slowing down, the world is slowly moving towards a new normal where the possibility of infection is reduced to the largest extent possible. Football, one of the most essential ‘non-essentials’, has returned in most parts of the world, with numerous rules and regulations in place to ensure the probability of contraction is reduced.

However, we are yet to see many leagues allow fans to fill the stadium and create a matchday atmosphere.

The Bundesliga was the first prominent league to restart post the Covid-19 break, while other European leagues soon followed. The Asian leagues too picked up lately, with Bhutan and Malaysia being the latest country to restart proceedings.

The Chinese Super League was scheduled to begin in February. After a long wait, the ball finally hit the pitch last weekend with Guangzhou Evergrande taking on Shanghai Shenhua at the Dalian Sports Centre Stadium. However, all games are played in the tournament’s two hubs – Suzhou and Dalian.

The Qatar Stars League kicked off on the same weekend at matchday 18. All games are being played in either the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha or the Al Wakrah Sports Complex at Al Wakrah. Al-Duhail are currently on top of the table with 46 points in 19 games. Al Rayyan, who are just four points behind are the only other contenders for the title.

It has been about a month since the J1 League restarted at matchday two. The J1 League teams are not restricted to neutral venues and are allowed to host their home games as usual.

The Saudi Professional League resumed on Tuesday with Al-Fateh overcoming Al Feiha 2-0 in the opener. After 22 rounds of football, Al-Hilal are on top of the table with 51 points in 22 games and are enjoying a six-point lead over Al-Nassr.

South Korea was one of the first countries to see a mass outbreak of the virus and it was also one of the first to flatten the curve to an extent. Football returned to the Asian giants as early as the first week of May. With 35 points after 14 rounds, Ulsan are enjoying a slender three-point lead over Jeonbuk.

The A-League took off on July 17 with Sydney FC defeating Wellington Phoenix at the Nestrata Stadium. Sydney are at the top after garnering 51 points in 23 games. Melbourne City are second with 43 points from 24 games.

The Vietnamese League(V-League) was among the first to restart post the CoVID break. Hai Phong played Ho Chi Minh City on June 5 in what was the first game since March 15. Sai Gon are on top of the table with 23 points after 11 rounds of football.

The Persian Gulf Pro League (Iran) followed cue just three weeks later. Foolad edged Esteghlal 2-1 at the Shohadaye Foolad Khoozestan to kick start proceedings. After 27 matchdays, Persepolis sit pretty at the top of the table with 63 points in the bag and a massive 15-point lead over Esteghlal.

The Jordanian Pro League saw a restart on Monday with Al-Wehdat cruising to a 3-0 win over Al-Salt on matchday two at the Amman International Stadium. The matches are scheduled to be played at just four venues.

Malaysian football fans will see a spike in their adrenaline on August 26 with a full set of Malaysia Super League games scheduled on that day. The teams started individual training on June 15 and group training one month later. The sport is now set to return to the country for the first time since the second week of March.

Meanwhile, the UAE Pro League was voided and the teams that qualified for the 2020 AFC Champions League were provided with the slots for the following season too. The Iraqi Premier League followed the same procedure.

The return dates of the Thai League 1, the Philippines Football League and the Singapore Premier League are unclear, while the Indonesian professional league (Liga 1) is set to return in the first week of October.

Clearly, the Asian countries have found a way to bring football back while ensuring maximum security for the players and staff involved. India can take a leaf out of these books ahead of the start of the new I-League and Indian Super League (ISL) season when it comes to security protocols.

Thirty summers ago, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had decided to attack Kuwait with the sole intention of acquiring the land of Kuwait as Iraq’s 19th province.

The seven months-long war had a lasting impact on both countries, a devastation which was irreparable for a very long time.

The tension between the two states began in July 1990, when Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Petrol from Rumaila oil field in Southern Iraq. Iraq’s then supreme commander Saddam Hussein had reportedly demanded $2.4 billion as compensation which Kuwait denied.

Finally, Baghdad decided to go ahead and attack Kuwait during the wee hours on August 2, 1990, and captured the country. The sudden movement by the Iraqis had left the Kuwaitis stunned and completely disrupted the harmony in the country.

But it was not just the Kuwaitis who suffered but also several other foreign nationals who were residing in the country at that time. One such foreigner was former India international footballer and I-League winning coach Khalid Jamil.

Jamil, who was born in Kuwait and had spent 13 years in the country, was stranded along with his family during the initial period of the war.

The NorthEast United FC interim coach shared some of his spine chilling experiences of witnessing the Gulf War in person.

“The attack happened in August. We were on our summer break and I used to be at my cousin’s place most of the time. My grandfather used to serve the Royal family of Kuwait and he came to know about the attack a month prior. He used to ask us to leave the country as he knew about a possible attack from Iraq over Kuwait. But my father did not listen to him at that time.

“Everything had come to a standstill across the country. We were not allowed to leave our house. There were military forces everywhere on every street. It was a very awkward experience for me as I had never seen such a situation before,” Jamil told Goal.

The Indian Government at that time had made arrangements to airlift their citizens from Kuwait. Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, had helped to airlift more than 1 lakh Indians. The process had started by August 13, 1990, and it went on till October 20, 1990.

Jamil’s family had initially planned to stay back as his father was against the idea of leaving the country where he had an established garage business. It was only after pressure from the embassy, that they had decided to catch the last flight back to India.

“We were there for two months before the Indian embassy asked us to leave the country as the United States of America was set to join the war and it would take a serious turn. We took the last flight back to India. Initially, my father was sceptical but finally decided to leave the country.

“We did not get any direct flight from Kuwait to India so we had travelled to Jordan via Iraq by car. A lot of our belongings were confiscated at the international border. We even had to leave my dad’s car behind in Jordan,” said the I-League winning coach.

The experience was horrific and traumatic at times for a young Khalid Jamil who had never before seen such dreadful occurrence.

The former East Bengal coach also mentioned that after Iraq had conquered Kuwait, the country’s currency (Kuwaiti Dinar) was deemed invalid. He also informed that his family had provided refuge to a lot of his local friends who were wanted by the Iraqi army.

“Those were really tough times. There was no electricity most of the times and there was a scarcity of food and water. We had provided shelter to many of my Kuwaiti friends as the Iraqis were searching for the local people at that time. There were safety issues,” exclaimed Jamil.

While his parents and relatives had returned to Kuwait in March 1991, after the war had ended, Jamil stayed back in Mumbai to pursue his higher education.

“My parents returned after seven months in 1991 after the war had ended. I stayed back in Mumbai to complete my education. The situation in Kuwait was still bad when my parents returned. There was still no electricity as Iraq had burned most of the crude oil and petrol in the country.”

The situation in Kuwait has definitely improved in the last 30 years and the Jamil’s parents as well relatives are well settled there. He visits them once a year during off-seasons.

“My parents reside in Kuwait now. I have many relatives there as well. I visit them every year,” said the Highlanders’ boss.

Manchester United defender Teden Mengi declared his debut was "just the start" after featuring in the club's 2-1 Europa League win over LASK.  

Mengi, 18, replaced Timothy Fosu-Mensah with six minutes remaining on Wednesday night and didn't look out of place under the bright lights of Old Trafford. 

The promising centre-back savoured his first chance to impress Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and seems intent to continue making progress at the club. 

"It's a great feeling. I'd like to thank everyone around me. My family, my teammates and everyone in the first-team made it very easy for me," Mengi told MUTV after making his debut.

"The academy staff as well as the manager who gave me the opportunity. It's just the start. It's down to myself to keep kicking on but I'm very happy with it.

"Of course, everyone dreams of this moment. It's everyone's dream - to represent the biggest club in the world. Luckily enough, I got the chance today and I'm really chuffed with it.

"Everyone was telling me before the game and during half-time to be ready and that's what I did. Everyone was saying: 'Come on Teden, this is your moment now'." 

Mengi's debut was somewhat bittersweet however with his mum unable to attend the match due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

"It's a big shame really because my mum pestered me all the time. She said: 'If you ever make your debut at Old Trafford, I'll be there watching you'. It's a shame she couldn't be here but it's the moment of my life. But it's time to kick on," he said.

"I'm hungry for more definitely. Then again, it's just the start for me as a player. I need to keep kicking on, keep developing, keep the same attitude in training and everything I can do. Then I'll hopefully get more opportunities.

"Of course, watching Brandon [Williams], we both play in defence. When I saw him kicking on, it made me even hungrier. I thought 'why can't I do it?'"

Asked about Mengi post-game, Solskjaer told BT Sport: "He is a leader, a centre-back, someone we believe in, he's strong, quick, good on the ball and I think we've got a decent player there." 

Romelu Lukaku "cost the same as all of Getafe", Jose Bordalas said after his side's Europa League loss to Inter.

Goals from Lukaku and Christian Eriksen saw Inter record a 2-0 win over the La Liga side in the last-16 clash in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday.

Signed by Inter from Manchester United for a reported €80 million (£72m/$95m) last year, Lukaku has scored 30 goals this season.

Getafe boss Bordalas said the difference between his team and Inter was enormous, highlighting how much Lukaku cost.

"We are sad because I think the team played a great game," he said.

"We had Inter on the ropes during the second half. We had control of the game and, unfortunately, in our mistake in their first goal after practically nothing had been put forward, but the team did not fall and we had the penalty that would have put us fully into the possibility of passing this tie.

"It is a shame, but I am proud because the approach has been fantastic, the team has interpreted it great. I am very proud of the work of the players.

"The difference is very big, only Lukaku cost the same as all of Getafe."

Jorge Molina missed a 76th-minute penalty for Getafe that would have drawn them level. Inter will now face either Rangers or Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Speaking after the win over Getafe, Lukaku stressed his focus was already on the next match as he urged Inter to improve. 

"We knew it would be a difficult game, against an aggressive team," Lukaku told Sky Sport. 

"The defence did a really good job and we did well at the front. I'm happy with my goal, and Christian's too.

"I want to win and continue to help the team. The work we're doing with the coach is really important. The team is growing and we need to move ahead with the same mentality and desire to improve."

Lukaku, who equalled a Europa League record after scoring in his eighth straight match in the competition, could face off against his former club Manchester United if both make it to the final. 

The Round of 16 of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League is up and running after the Covid-19 enforced break. Manchester United coasted to a spot in the quarter-final while Inter Milan also had an easy outing.

Watch all the highlights from games involving the major teams right here:

Manchester United 2-1 LASK (7-1 agg):

Manchester United eased into the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 7-1 aggregate defeat of LASK following a 2-1 win in the last-16 second leg. Jesse Lingard cancelled out a spectacular opening goal from Philipp Wiesinger at Old Trafford before substitute Anthony Martial sealed the win with two minutes of normal time left. 

Jorge Molina paid for an awful penalty miss as Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen sent Inter into the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Getafe.